Select Local Merchants

On a trip to Chicago from his native Italy, young Mario Tricoci changed his life forever. The fledgling hairdresser stopped in at a prestigious salon, where he impressed the owner with his impeccable display of skill and landed himself a job. The next six decades brought strings of industry awards and the opening of his very own salon, which soon exploded into 26 locations in four states. With his styling prowess proven both to the industry and to the clients he encountered each day, the coiffeur decided to share his gift with others. In 2004, he established Tricoci University to foster a new generation of cosmetologists and spa technicians trained to thrive in the luxury-spa industry.
Throughout the Midwest, Tricoci prot?g?s study a rigorous curriculum in high-end salon and spa surroundings to learn how to create beautiful hairdos, choose skin-flattering cosmetics, and beautify nails and skin. A team of experienced industry professionals readies pupils for the beauty world with in-depth classes, and outside education arrives via video demonstrations and guest-artist lectures on Vidal Sassoon's Wedge-Bob Postulate. More advanced students get a preview of their career to come by beautifying real people during instructor-supervised treatments, which lend the stylist essential experience as the client enjoys a pampering session at a discounted rate.

Sharon Owens lowers the bulb of an ornament into the sharp blue flame of her workstation’s torch, heating the glass until it glows a vibrant yellow. Applying the skills she learned in her schooling at Purdue University, her three-year apprenticeship, and her studies with a host of artisan glassworkers, she presses her mouth to the piece’s hollow stem. Whatever shape it will take, only she knows.
This scene has been a regular occurrence at Inspired Fire since 2002, when Sharon founded her studio in her hometown of Lafayette. The workshop is equipped for all manners of projects, including 4 kilns, 12 torches, and, most importantly, air conditioning. The shop’s staff oversees classes for beginners and advanced glassworkers, as well as offering the space for crafters unable to find the “glass” setting on their microwaves.

Xtreme Xperience was founded by a pair of car aficionados who understand the thrill of commanding a $253,000 piece of four-wheeled poetry in motion, like the Lamborghini LP560. They know that exaggerating the pronunciation of Porsche is only half as fun as horsewhipping its 530 horsepower from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 3.3 seconds. They realize that the Ferrari F430's supercharged Launch Control console button is too irresistible not to push coming out of every red light and into every dark, quiet, and hopefully vacant train tunnel. The smooth, spaceship-esque aluminum body shell of the Audi R8 makes them appreciate how discreet something like 782 rivets, 382 self-tapping screws, and more than 300 feet of welding can be. The people at Xtreme Xperience also regularly upgrade their supercar experience, providing a safe way to not only participate in automobile exhilaration, but to also supply curious drivers and riders with information about the luxury automotive and racing worlds.

At VFit , each client who enrolls in one of the gym's fitness classes also initiates a relationship with the trainer. Health assessments, nutrition assessments, and collaborations mean that your personal goals and preferences are the focus during your workouts, which run between 45-60 minutes. During the group classes, clients of all ages and ability levels come together for the same workouts, which can be scaled and modified to accommodate any skill level. Each functional workout divides time equally between cardiovascular routines, strength-training that leverages body weight, and muscle-sculpting exercises with free weights. The focus of each session alternates by the day of the week, so clients can arrive daily for an all-around fit-?em-up routine or drop in on specified slots to focus on slimming down, toning muscles, or building strength. Click here for VFit's informative and instructional videos.

Before 1958, the only audible sounds on the grounds of Lucas Oil Raceway were rattling tractors and mooing cows. Nowadays, the 267-acre farm-turned-auto-racing-center roars with thunderous racecar engines on three different racetracks: a 0.686-mile oval track, a quarter-mile drag strip, and a 2.5-mile road course littered with 15 turns. Using this abundance of pavement, the staff stages an array of events and races, including the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals and Wild Wednesdays, where drivers can drag race their own street-legal cars, provided they have a driver's license and their cars have a clean pair of running shorts.